VATICAN CITY – The Vatican is defending Pope Francis' appointment of a Chilean bishop despite allegations from victims that the prelate had covered up for a pedophile priest.

A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, said Tuesday that before Monsignor Juan Barros was named to be bishop of Osorno, Chile, the Holy See's Congregation for Bishops "carefully examined the prelate's candidature and didn't find objective reasons to preclude the appointment."